§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost of producing all Welsh language programmes on the proposed fourth television channel.
§ Mr. BrittanThe report of the Home Office working party on the Welsh television fourth channel project in 1978 estimated that the additional programmes of some 6½ hours a week necessary to achieve a service of some 20 hours within three years would cost—at 1978 prices—£3.8 million in revenue costs and £2.5 million in capital costs. These estimates assumed that there would be no additions to existing and planned studio capacity. The report did not quantify the full cost of a Welsh language fourth channel, but noted that it would be much greater. The need to produce programmes to replace those taken from the existing BBC and IB A channels and the loss of potential advertising revenue to the fourth channel would also have to be taken into account.